Switch block mounting



Feb. 23, 1932. w. H. FRANK 1,846,714

SWITCH BLOCK MOUNT ING- Filed March 13, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

- M'///'am H. Fran/r 7' 6 BY 1 7w; .4. JJMJMZ;

ATTORNEY.

Feb. 23, 1932. W. H. FRANK SWITCH BLOCK MOUNTING Filed March 13. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet JNVENTOR.

William H- Fran/r Jaw A. J/Mui;

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Feb. 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlca I mm H. FRANK, OI' DE'.I.BDI'1, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB TO BULL DOG ELECTRIC U018 comm, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION 01' m swrrcrr nnocx looms This invention relates to means for mount ing electrical parts on panel boards or bus bars and'refers more particularly to mountings for switch blocks, of the type disclosed plication of Harrison J. L. Frank,

. 1n the a Serial 0. 353,343, filed April 8, 1929.

In the apphcation referred to the switch b blocks are secured by means of screws to an insulating mounting plate in front of which 10. are disposed bus bars, electric connection to which is made by means of screws threaded into the latter and thru electrically conducts ing strips disposed within the ,block. It Is necessary in mountings of the character referred to, to provide threaded apertures 1n the bus bar at intervals so that switch blocks ma be secured thereto wherever desired.

Ila is an object of this invention to provide mounting means similar to those disc osed in said application, but difiering therefrom in that no threaded a rtures in the bus bars need be provided, t e switch block carrying a clamp or wedge which cooperates with a bus bar to form electric contact therewith.

It is also an ob'ect of this invention to provide a means w ich will mechanically and electrically connect parts to a bus bar ,whereverdesired, the bus bar itself having no threaded apertures or the like.

A further object is to provide a mounting means wherein a mounting plate may be dispensed with, the switch block being mounted upon or secureddirectly to the bus bars.

A still further object is to .provide a mounting wherein the bus bars may be disposed upon one side or the other of the mounting plate.

Still other objects will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings in which i Fig. 1 is a view lookingupwardly at a switch block secured directly to a bus bar.

Fig. 2 is a planview, partly in section, of

a form of my invention.

Fi 3 is an end view, partly in section, of the divice of Fig. 2.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6'show details of modifications of my mounting means.

1 means of the nut 33 Fig. Fig. 5.

Referrin to the drawings, a switch block A, disposed over a bus bar-B, is connected thereto by means of the mounting or clamping means C described hereafter. The bus ar B may be on the front side of the mounting plate D as in Fig. 2, on the rear side thereof as in Figs. 5 and 6, or mounting plate D may be dispensed with altogether as in Figs. 1 and 4, and my invention is not limited in any way to the specific method of mountinga bus bar with relation to mounting plates, if the latter are provided. The mounting means disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2 and 3 includes a prism-like member 10 disposed within the base 11 of the switch block A, the member 10 containing a wedge 12 held therein by means of the clamping screw 13, the wedge 12 being non-rotatable in the member 10 by virtue of the cooperation of their side walls, as disclosed in Fig.1.

7 a bottom plan view of part of As will be seen from Fig. 2, rotation of the screw-13 will cause wedge 12 to ride upwardly in member 10 and into clamping and contacting engagement with the bus bar B.

Fig. 4 discloses a modification wherein a hook shaped member 16 havinga threaded portion 1 and a head 18 is drawn upwardly and into interlocking and contacting engagement with the bus bar B by means of the nut 19, rotation of the latter causing movement of the parts in the manner specified, bus bar B and hook 16 preventing rotation of the screw 17.

Figs. 5 and 7 disclose a modification wherein a cam 20 substantially or completely integral with a threaded post 21'secured to the nut 22 by means of the screw head 23 may be rotated in an obvious manner for clamping and contacting engagement with the stationary bus bar B, the latter being fixed on the panel board in any desired fashion.

Fig. 6 discloses a modification wherein a split bolt 30 having portions 31 contacting with the beveled walls 32 of the mounting plate D is adapted to be moved upwarll by under the head 34 o; the latter. I

It will be seen therefore, that 'I have disclosed a mounting and clampin means which can secure the electrical parts of the block in electrical and interlocking or clamping enis to be limited, not to the specific details fhereinset forth but only by the scope of the claims which follow:

- I claim L In combination, a bus bar, a cup shaped receptacle of insulating rmaterial disposed over said bus bar, an electrically conducting part in said receptacle and spaced from said bus bar, and means to connect said part to said bus bar, said means including a manipulating portion in said receptacle adjacent and above said part and a contact portion secured to the manipulating portion and disposed behind said receptacle and adapted to clampingly engage the side walls of said bus bar, said manipulating portion being entirely operable from [above and within the receptacle, said contact portion being manipulable so as to present no parts below the bus bar, whereby the receptacle with its parts in assembly therewith, may be removed from the bus bar from above the latter and without disassembling any parts.

2. In combination, a bus bar, a cup shaped receptacle of insulating material disposed over said bus bar, an electrically conducting part in said receptacle and spaced from said bus bar, and means to connect said part to said bus bar, said means including a screw member having a manipulating portion in said receptacle adjacent andabove said part and a contact portion secured to the manipulating portion and disposed behind said receptacle andadapted to clampingly engage the side walls of said bus bar, said manipulating portion being entirely operable from above and within the receptacle, said contact portion being manipulable so as to present no parts below the bus bar, whereby the receptacle with its parts in assembly therewith, may be removed from the bus bar from above thelatter and without disassembling any parts.

3. In combination, a bus bar, a cup shaped receptacle of insulating material disposed over said bus bar, an electrically conducting part in said receptacle and spaced from said bus bar, and means to connect said part to said bus bar, said means including block disposed in the bottom of the receptacle, be-

tween said p'art and the bus 'bar, and. having a slot in which the busbar is disposed, and a screw member having its head in the receptacle, adjacent and above said part, a shank projecting thru the block and into the slot,

and an element secured to the shank and disposed within the slot between a wall there part in'said receptacle and spaced from said bus bar, and means to connect said part to said busbar, said means includinga block disposed in the bottom of the receptacle, between said part and the bus bar, and having a slot in which the bus bar is disposed, and a screw member having its head in the receptacle adjacent and above the part, a shank projecting thru the block and into the slot, and an element secured to the shank and disposed within the slot between a wall thereof and the bus bar, the aforementioned wall of the slot and a wall of the element being at ,an angle with respect to the shank axis to form a wedge, the element being drawn into the slot as the screw head is rotated, to engage and clamp the bus bar, the screw head being operable from above the part and within the receptacle.

5. In combination, a bus bar, a cup shaped receptacle of insulating material disposed over said bus bar, an electrically conducting part in said receptacle and spaced from said bus bar, and means to connect said-part to said bus bar, said means including a manipulating portion in said receptacle adjacent and above said part and a contact portion secured to the manipulating portion and disposed behind said receptacle and adapted to clampingly engage said part and the side walls of said bus bar, said manipulating portion being entirely operable from above and within the receptacle, said contact portion being manipulable so as to present no parts below the bus bar, whereby the receptacle with its parts in assembly therewith, may be removed from the bus bar, from above the latter and without disassembling any parts.

6. In combination, abus bar, a cup shaped receptacle of insulating material disposed over said bus bar, an electrically conducting part in said receptacle and spaced from said bus bar, and means to connect said part to said bus bar, said means including a block disposed in the bottom of the receptacle, between said part and the bus bar, and having a slot in which the bus bar is disposed, and a screw member having its head in the recep-, tacle, adjacent and above said part, a shank projecting thru the block and into the slot, and an element secured to the shank anddisposed within the slot between a wall thereof and the bus bar, the aforementioned wall of isc the slot and a wall cf the element being at an angle with respect to the shank axis to form a wedge, the slot as the the element being drawn into screw head is rotated, to engage and clamp the bus bar, and also to cause said part to be clamped between the block and i the screw head.

WILLIAM H. FRANK. 

